Refrigerating apparatus



March 1, 1932. w, c, HQLBRQOK 1,847,109

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WM C. my,S wmfl- -rTz/LA March 1, 1932. w c, HQLBROQK 1,847,109

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwumdoz351 3710mm H'Mwm i- Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEWILLIAI C. HOLBBOOK, OI DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO IBIGIDAIBEOOBPORATION, 7

OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01 DELAWARE BEEBTGRATING APPARATUSApplication filed March 28, 1929. Serial no. 350,676.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and especially tomeans or preventin condensation of moisture on the outside a cabinethousing said refrigerating ap aratus.

object of the invention is to provide ventilating means in the frameworkof refrig'erating cabinets.

Another object of the invention is to provide an opening thru a portionof the refri erator cabinet.

urther objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the invention 18 clearly shown.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a cross section thru a refri erator cabinet towhich the invention is app ied.

Fig. 2 is a cross section thru the central post of the refrigeratorcabinet of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the refrigerator cabinet of Fig. 1.

It has been found that in very humid atmospheres and where a veryeflicient coohng coil has been placed within the refrigerator cabinet tht certain portions of the exterior of the ca inet are apt to havecondensed thereon moisture from the surrounding air.

This moisture is apt to collect when the refrigerant supply apparatushas been set for the production of an intense cold in the foodcompartment for the freezing of ice desserts for example. The extremecold is apt to chill certain portions ofthe wall of the food compartmentespecially about the opening of the door and it is an object of thisinvention to provide ventilating means whereby this condensation can beeliminated.

In Fig. 3 is disclosed a refrigerator cabinet havin a front panel 11,-front doors 12 with the inge means 13, latch means 14 and also the lowerdoor 15. This outside panel 11 may be put on in sections and ispreferably of steel construction covered with pyroxylme,

' paint or porcelain. Between the two doors a frame work and certainmembers of it are disclosed in the drawings in addition to the centerpost already mentioned namely the top front cross piece 18, cross piece19 below the center post 17 and rear cross piece 20 and 21. In the upperportion of the cabinet is the food compartment 22 having an inner lining23 substantially surrounded by insulation 24 preferably slabs of rockcork sealed with a bituminous cement such as hydrolene. A fiber or pulpboard 25 adds to the insulation above the food compartment and adownwardly flanged top panel 26 extends across the upper part of thecabinet. Also disclosed in Fig. 1 is the rear panel 27 and the base 28.In the lower part of the cabinet just above the base 28 is a machinecompartment for the refrigerant supply apparatus. This apparatuspreferably consists of the compressor 29, condenser 30 and receiver 31,run by the motor 34 thru the belt 35 connected to the compressor pulleyand fan 36. A valve and snap switch 37 governs the runnin of the motor.Conduits 32 and 33 exten upwardly thru a sleeve 58 preferably sealedwith kapok into the food compartment to the header 38 with its dependingducts or loops 39 enclosing the freezing trays 40.

As more particularly disclosed in Fig. 2 the two doors of the foodcompartment preferably have an outer panel 41 covering the frame work42, insulation 44, preferably slabs of rock cork, and the inner panel43. Attached to the inner side of the door is a sealin means 45. Theinner central post behind the panel 16 is preferably constructed asdisclosed in Fig. 2. Immediately back of the panel is preferably aninsulation 46 such as paper felt. Frame work members 47, 48 and 49 and50 preferably surrounding a ventilating shaft 51; The inner panel 52covers the side of the post facing the food compartment and a doormolding 53 preferably extends from the outer panel 16 to the inner panel52 of the central post or j amb. As disclosed in Fi 1 the shaft thru thecentral post extends ownwardly thru the frame member 19 to thecompartment containing the refrigerant supply apparatus. As so disclosedthe air passage has been slanted slight- 1y to avoid the catch means 57for the lower door. The air passage also extends upwardly thru the framemember 18 past a cut-away portion 55 of the insulating fiber or pulpboard 26 and then curves with the top panel about the flange 56 to theouter air. Accordingly as disclosed the frame work at this point has theventilatin shaft from the machine compartment up t ru one of the framemembers beside the food compartment to the top of the cabinet where ithas egress to the outer air.

The outside surface of the central post of two door food compartmentrefrigerator cabinets is more susceptible to the collection ofcondensation thereon than other parts of the cabinet. An examination ofFig. 2 will disclose how thoroughly a cold atmosphere will surround thethree sides of such a post. Accordingly heat leaking through such a postfrom the outside is very rapidly absorbed. In fact the rate ofabsorption is much greater than the rate of supply of heat. Theconsequence is that the surface 16 of the post is cold and, if below thedew point, condensation will deposit on the surface 16. In localitiesnear large bodies of water the humidity is often very high even withhigh temperatures. Accordingly even a slight drop in the temperature ofany object will cause condensation thereon in these localities due tothe high humidity. The surface of the central post is cold because itabsorbs heat from the air at its surface very rapidly and much morerapidly than this surface air received heat from the other air in theroom. Accordingly, moisture is often condensed upon the surface of 16due to its temperature being below the dew point. The air space 51however slows up the absorption of heat between the space 51 and theouter surface of 16 and restricts the rapid absorption area to the spacebetween the air space 51 and the inner lining of the cabinet. As theheat is not thus so rapidly absorbed at the surface of the post, thesurface temperature will not be so much below the temperature of theoutside air that condensation will result if the humidity is high.Accordingly, the post of the door will remain in the same dry state asthe rest of the outer covering of the refrigerator.

The location and size of the air space is of course subject to changewithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It might forinstance be located much nearer to the outer panel and may even belocated directly behind the outer panel. In such a case however,provision should be made for adequate support of the latch meansattached to the central post. This air space has been illustrated asapplied to the central door post of two door food compartment cabinetsas it is thought that such central post is more susceptible tocondensation. It is obvious however, that the invention could be appliedto other portions or sections of cabinets of this type or other typeswhere it is thought desira e. Another such type is where the foodco1npartment has a plurality of horizontally spaced doors with a post,or sill or rail separating them. The invention also contemlatespreventing condensation on the surace of such sill or rail altho in thiscase the air shaft or space would probably have to extend horizontallyinstead of vertically as disclosed in the drawings. The use of the wordpost in the claims is intended to cover such sill or rail or othersupporting means. In fact the air spaces may be scattered in variousplaces in the framework and may also be joined together as a ventilatingsystem throughout the framework. Furthermore the use of the wordframework is not intended to be limited to the wooden frameworkdisclosed butto cover supporting members of other materials as well,such as steel with a surface of paint or porcelain.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope ofthe claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows.

1. A refrigerating cabinet having a food compartment in the upperportion thereof, a machine compartment in the lower portion thereof, aplurality of doors opening to said food compartment, a central postacting as a jamb for said doors and a ventilating shaft having air inletand outlet openings, and extending from said machine compartment throughsaid central post.

2. A refrigerating cabinet having a food chamber, a door opening to saidfood chamber, a portion of said cabinet acting as a jamb for said door,said portion having a clear ventilating passage therethrough, saidpassage having air inlet and outlet openings connected to the outeratmosphere.

3. A refrigerating cabinet having a food compartment in the upperportion thereof, a covering for the top of said cabinet, means formingan opening between said cabinet and said covering, said opening leadingto the outer atmosphere, a machine compartment in the lower portion ofsaid cabinet, a door opening to said food compartment, a post acting asa jamb for said door, said postforming a ventilating passage extendingfrom said machine compartment to said opening between the cabinet andsaid covering.

4. A refrigerating cabinet having a food compartment in the upperportion thereof, a covering for the top of said cabinet, means formingan opening between said cabinet and said covering, said opening leadingto the outer atmosphere, a machine compartment in the lower portion ofsaid cabinet, a plurality of doors opening to said food compartment, acentral post acting as a jamb for said doors,

\VILLIAM G. HOLBROOK.

